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PROFILE
Profile: Mary Jo Denman, Legal Assistant, Smith, Bassett, Purcell and Koenig in Atlanta, and 2004-2005 President-Elect of NALS, the Association for Legal Professionals [by Regan Morris] Mary Jo Denman takes over the presidency of NALS this month. LawCrossing speaks with Ms. Denman about the organization and her career in the legal profession. As acting president of the legal association
profession, including paralegals. The as-
NALS, Mary Jo Denman sent an appeal to the
sociation has three levels of certification
eral civil practice, and Ms. Denman said she
association’s members: Get Involved! She
for legal professionals and encourages its
does a lot of probate work, wills and estates,
quoted Mark Twain in her appeal: “Thun-
members to attend educational seminars in
some corporate and business litigation, and
der is good, thunder is impressive, but it is
person or online and to take as many legal
contract work. One of the attorneys she sup-
the lightning that does the work.” Then she
courses as possible.
ports is a solo practitioner.
Ms. Denman, who has been with Smith, Bas-
Ms. Denman, who is originally from Mobile,
sett, Purcell and Koenig since 1977, said she
Alabama, and moved to Atlanta in 1977
Thunder, she said, is loud and gets a lot of
does both clerical and paralegal work at the
because of her husband’s job, said she is
attention. But lightning? “That’s where the
law firm. She is one of two support staff for
looking forward to the NALS presidency and
action is, and that’s where the work gets
five attorneys and said she learned most of
feels well prepared for the year ahead.
done,” she wrote, urging NALS members to
her paralegal skills through on-the-job train-
“Be lightning. Volunteer for a NALS commit-
ing and NALS workshops.
Smith, Bassett, Purcell and Koenig is a gen-
asked the members, “Are you thunder or lightning?”
tee or run for local or state office.”
“I pretty well know what to expect. We have a system in place that we’ve had for a while
“I wear many hats, as many of us do, espe-
now, where the president-elect spends the
Ms. Denman is lightening. And when she
cially in a small law firm,” she said. “Some-
year before the presidency as chair of the
takes over the reins of NALS this month
times some of my time is billable, some is
Strategic Planning Committee,” she said.
from Mary Burns (see last week’s profile),
not. I do a lot of administrative; I do a lot of
“There’s a cycle we kind of go through to
she hopes to encourage others to volunteer
secretarial; I do a lot of legal assistant work,
where next year, we’ll be working on all the
to expand NALS’ mission to educate legal
so it keeps it interesting.”
things that our strategic planning committee came up with last year.”
professionals and provide networking opportunities.
Ms. Denman’s introduction to the legal field was serendipitous. She was a math major at
She said the Strategic Planning Commit-
Ms. Denman, 56, joined NALS in the early
the University of the Incarnate Word in San
tee looks years ahead and decides in which
1970s when she was working as a legal sec-
Antonio, but dropped out and got married.
direction the organization should be going.
retary in San Antonio, TX.
Her husband was in the service, and she was looking for a secretarial job in any kind of
“The president-elect is very heavily involved
“I was always interested in learning more,
office. It just so happened she was hired by a
in that planning. And so it’s not like I have to
and I thought this was a way I could learn
law firm.
come up with some new goals right now. It’s an ongoing thing, and it’s a committee. It’s a
more about the legal field,” she said. “That’s basically why I joined in the beginning—was
“That’s how I began, and it was just so in-
for educational purposes.”
teresting I stuck with it,” she said. The math
Education is still the top priority for NALS,
work of many,” she said.
studies helped her later in her career doing
When asked what the biggest priorities
some of the firm’s bookkeeping.
are for NALS, Ms. Denman pointed toward education, certification, and networking. Ms.
which used to be an acronym for National Association of Legal Secretaries, but now
“I’m pretty good (with accounts),” she said.
Denman said she’s never really considered
stands alone as NALS because the group’s
“It doesn’t scare me. Let’s put it that way.”
joining another legal organization because
members hold various positions in the legal
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when she started in the 1970s, NALS was the
continued on back
PROFILE
only one to choose. “We were the only one; we were the original,” she said. “We’ve been around since 1929, whereas like NALA, they were borne out of us.” NALA is the National Association of Legal Assistants, which was incorporated in 1975. NALS, which has about 5,000 members, still has legal secretaries as members, but is also open to legal assistants, paralegals, legal administrators, and law firm managers. When asked what advice she would give to legal professionals entering the field today, Ms. Denman advised them not to be too choosy with their first jobs. “I would tell them to take any job they can get,” she said. “It’s not beneath them to be a receptionist or a legal secretary because you learn an awful lot there. And if you’re intelligent and hardworking and flexible, you will easily be able to move into more responsible positions.”
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